Clearview National March 2020 - Issue 220 | Page 62

CO LOUR
Any colour as long
as it’s green…
How composite windows and doors
can boost energy efficiency
» AS PART OF THE TENTH
annual World Green Building
Week, which took place in
September 2019, the World
Green Building Council
(WorldGBC) issued a bold vision
for how buildings around the
world can reach 40 per cent less
embodied carbon emissions by
2030. Here, Gert De Roover,
building, construction and
infrastructure manager at leading
composites technology company
Exel Composites, explains why
composite materials contribute to
the drive for greener buildings.
On average, around 30 per
cent of a building’s heat escapes
through its windows alone..
Unlike metal, fiberglass
composite materials are effective
thermal insulators, making them
the ideal candidate for window and
door frames. Typically, insulation
in an aluminium window frame is
referred to as a thermal break —
the continuous barrier between
the inside and outside window
frames that prevents thermal energy
loss. The insulating properties
of composite materials such as
fiberglass mean that there is no
need for a thermal break, as the
material is capable of ensuring
thermal efficiency alone.
Unlike wood, fiberglass doesn’t
expand or contract when exposed
to wet or humid conditions, and
66 » M AR 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
it does not rot, meaning it can last
longer and work effectively in any
environmental conditions. While
another common window frame
and door material, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), does not swell
or warp like wood, it presents its
own challenges. PVC can be easily
misshapen, so metal inserts are
sandwiched between the exterior
and interior frames of the window
to match wood’s structural
stiffness. However, the problem
arises when the seal binding these
elements together isn’t maintained
— stopping it from keeping the
elements out and the heat in.
Fiberglass window frames do not
require structural inserts, as the
stiff material is manufactured in a
single profile.
From a material’s performance
perspective, fiberglass offers several
benefits over traditional materials.
First it has the stiffness and strength
without the need for adding
stiffeners, and this simplifies the
manufacturing process. Secondly,
fiberglass is resistant to thermal
expansion, corrosion and rot. This
means less maintenance over the
lifespan of the window or door
frame. Thirdly, fiberglass frames
are a great insulator helping to
retain heat or cooling to help save
energy.
www.exelcomposites.com